Hinge assembly for toilet seat fixing

Abstract: A cap (7) is placed over a hinge portion (6) such that the open end of a horizontally extending rod (13) extends towards the socket (14) extending into the seat (2) and cover (3). The cap (7) is moved towards the cover (3) and seat (2) to locate the rod (13) within the socket (14). The rod (13) of another portion (6) is also moved into the other end of the socket (14) such that the rods (13) extend along a common axis. Flanges (10) of the caps (7) slide between the ribs (8) of the base (5) until the flanges (10) are located just beneath the ribs (8). The cap (7) is then rotated to cause the flanges (10) to slide under the ribs (8) until the axially extending ribs (11) abut the correspondingly extending ribs (8) to prevent further rotation of the caps (7) in that direction.

Description: The present invention relates to a hinge assembly for releasably mounting a toilet seat and a method of mounting a toilet seat. FR-A-2 506 595 shows a toilet seat mounting in which a bolt is connected to a hinge assembly and extends down through a part of the toilet bowl with a wing nut being attached to the downwardly projecting part of the bolt. In order to detach the hinge portion the base mounting has to be released. AU-A-7 514 174 shows a hinge portion that is attached to the base of a toilet by a bolt being tightened to cause a conical nut to be drawn upwardly to wedge a slotted bush against an opening in the toilet bowl. To remove the hinge portion the base mounting has to be released. EP-A-0 156 967 shows a hinge assembly for releasably mounting a toilet seat on a toilet bowl, the hinge assembly comprising an exposed base mounting attached to a toilet bowl and a hinge portion about which a toilet seat moves, the hinge portion being arranged to be detachably mounted on the exposed base mounting by causing turning movement of a retaining portion that extends through the base mounting. According to one aspect of the present invention in a hinge assembly for releasably mounting a toilet seat on a toilet bowl, the hinge assembly comprises a base mounting arranged, in use, to be attached to a toilet bowl and a hinge portion about which a toilet seat, in use, is arranged to move, the hinge portion being arranged to be detachably mounted on the base mounting by causing turning movement of a retaining portion, characterised in that the retaining portion is arranged to at least partially conceal the base mounting. By using turning of a retaining portion to detachably mount the hinge portion on the base mounting an easily operable mechanism which provides good resistance to forces attempting to move the hinge portion relative to the base mounting in a number of directions is provided. Furthermore, the problems associated with a push fit retaining member which must be stiff enough to hold the parts in place and yet lose enough to enable detachment of the parts may be avoided. With such an assembly, when it is desired to clean the hinge assembly, the hinge portion can be detached and cleaned and the base mounting, which has been concealed and which is not at a convenient location for thorough cleansing, will not require cleaning or will not require as thorough a cleaning as would be the case if the base mounting had been exposed during use of the toilet. The hinge portion may be arranged to be located in position relative to the base mounting by causing downwards movement of the hinge portion relative to the base mounting. By locating the hinge portion in position on the base mounting by causing downwards movement of the hinge portion, the hinge portion can first be mounted on a toilet seat and then subsequently lowered onto the base mounting. Thus the need to simultaneously locate the hinge portion with the base mounting and seat is obviated and the need for the hinge portion to be brought into cooperation with the seat at the relatively inaccessible location at the rear of a toilet bowl is obviated. When the hinge portion is mounted on the base mounting, movement of the hinge portion away from the part of the toilet seat with which it cooperates may be restricted or prevented. With such an arrangement, the inadvertent movement of the hinge portion out of engagement with the seat is inhibited. The hinge assembly may be arranged to be connected to a base and may be arranged to be indirectly connected to a base. The hinge assembly may include an intermediate portion. The hinge portion may include a rod arranged, in use, to extend into a socket of a toilet seat. The retaining portion may be arranged to surround the base mounting, when the hinge portion is mounted on the base mounting. The retaining portion may be arranged to restrict fluid flow from the surface of a bowl on which the assembly may be mounted and the base mounting. The assembly may include a seal arranged to be located between a bowl on which the assembly may be mounted and the retaining portion. In use, the retaining portion and the hinge portion may be arranged to substantially cover the base mounting. In use, the hinge portion may be arranged to project upwardly through an opening in the retaining portion. The retaining portion may be arranged to be connected with the base mounting by means of cooperating screw threads. Alternatively, the retaining portion may be arranged to cooperate with the base mounting by pivotal movement of the retaining portion relative to the base mounting, and such pivotal movement may be arranged to occur without any relative translational movement. Pivotal movement may be arranged to be restricted by parts of the retaining portion and the base mounting abutting each other, and the parts may extend in the general direction of pivotal movement. The hinge portion may be pivotally moveable relative to the retaining portion before the hinge portion is connected to the base mounting and, alternatively or additionally, when the hinge portion is connected to the base mounting. Such pivotal movement may allow for adjustment of the direction in which the hinge portion extends and the cooperating part of the toilet seat, even though the orientation of the base mounting may be fixed in order that stresses arising out of misalignment may be reduced. The location of the base mounting may be adjustable relative to the bowl in at least one relative translational direction and preferably in at least one further relative translational direction extending at an angle to the first translational direction. The base mounting may also be arranged to occupy one of a plurality of rotational positions relative to a base for a given position of extent of the hinge axis. The base may include a slot to assist in attaching the base to a bowl with provision for adjustment. The assembly may include a pair of spaced base mountings connected together with the pair of hinge portions each being arranged to cooperate with a different base mounting. According to a further aspect of the present invention a method of mounting a toilet seat on a toilet bowl in order that the seat can hinge relative to the bowl, comprising attaching a base mounting of a hinge assembly on a toilet bowl and locating a hinge portion of said hinge assembly to cooperate with the seat, and detachably mounting the hinge portion on the base mounting by causing turning movement of a retaining portion of said hinge assembly, is characterised in that the retaining portion is caused to at least partially conceal the base mounting. The method may comprise the hinge assembly at least partially or substantially concealing a base. The method may comprise moving the hinge portion downwardly towards the base mounting when locating the hinge portion relative to the base mounting. The present invention also includes a toilet seat including at least one hinge assembly as defined in claims 1 to 12 to hinging the seat to the bowl, and a toilet seat incorporating a hinge assembly which has been mounted by a method as defined in claims 13 to 15. The present invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but one embodiment will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :- Figure 1 is an exploded schematic view from underneath of a hinge assembly 1; Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view from above of a toilet seat 2 and lid 3 having a part of the hinge assembly to be connected thereto about to be brought into engagement with another part of the hinge assembly connected to a toilet bowl 4. The hinge assembly 1 comprises a base mounting 5 arranged to be secured to the bowl 4, an intermediate hinge portion 6, about which the seat and lid pivot, and a cap 7 arranged to be detachably connected to the base mounting. In use, a pair of base mountings 5 are fastened to a bowl 4 by passing a nut and bolt (not shown) through an elongate slot 12 in the base mountings and tightening a nut (not shown) onto the bolt from the underside of the bowl to clamp the base mounting firmly onto the bowl. Before the base mounting is clamped firmly onto the bowl, the slot allows the base mounting to be slid relative to the bowl in the direction of extent of the slot. Accordingly the position of the base mounting can be moved from side to side or from back to front by pivoting and sliding the base mounting to ensure accurate location of the base mounting for the seat. As an alternative to the nut and bolt a rawl nut can be used beneath the bowl into which the bolt can be passed and tightened into to retain the base mounting. With the base mountings clamped to the bowl, the bowl itself can then be manoeuvred and located such that the back of the bowl, and therefore at least one operative part of the nut and bolt, are inaccessible. Thus, in use, the base mountings may remain permanently attached to the bowl. The cap 7 is of larger diameter than the base mounting and is arranged, in use, to extend around and over the base mounting. The cap may either contact the bowl directly around the base mounting or may trap an annular seal between the base mounting and the bowl. The cap is detachably connected to the base mounting by twisting the cap to bring cooperating parts on each into engagement, when the base mounting is overlapped, to prevent the cap from moving away from the base mounting. These cooperating portions comprise a series of four spaced outwardly projecting arcuate ribs 8 on the base mounting, each of which terminate at one end in an axially extending downwardly projecting flange 9 and four spaced, inwardly extending flanges 10 located on the bottom of the cap (as shown in Figure 1), each of which terminates in an axially extending upwardly projecting rib 11. The hinged attachment of the seat 2 and cover 3 to the bowl 4 is achieved as follows. Firstly, the cap 7 is placed over the hinge portion 6, as shown in Figure 2, such that the open end of a horizontally extending rod 13 extends towards a socket 14 extending into the seat and cover. The cap 7 is then moved towards the cover and seat to locate the rod 13 within the socket. The rod 13 of another portion 6 is also moved into the other end of the socket 14 such that the rods extend along a common axis. The seat and the caps 7 are then manoeuvred to bring the caps 7 over the already fixed base mountings 5. The flanges 10 of the caps slide between the ribs 8 of the base mounting until the flanges 10 are located just beneath the ribs 8 with the flanges 10, either contacting or being closely spaced from the surface of the bowl. The caps 7 are then rotated to cause the flanges 10 to slide under the ribs 8 until the axially extending ribs 11 abut the correspondingly extending ribs 8 to prevent further rotation in that direction. The base mounting is then completely concealed with a skirt 16 of the cap 7 surrounding the base mounting 5. With the lid and seat mounted on the base mounting, the lid and seat can pivot or hinge about the longitudinal axis of the rods 13. The upwardly facing surface of the hinge portion 6 includes an annular band of reduced height (not shown) at its outer extremity. That band is located beneath a narrowed waist 15 of the skirt such that the remainder of the upwardly facing surface of the hinge portion can be generally flush with the corresponding surface of the cap, as shown in Figure 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the cap 7 is shown as being able to undergo a limited amount of relative rotation. In a further alternative, the cap and base mounting can be screwed together by providing screw threads on their overlapping surface. In a further alternative, (not shown) instead of two separate base mountings being provided, a common base mounting may be provided which is arranged to receive both of the caps. Removal of the lid and seat is achieved by reversing the above described sequence of operations. In the removed position, the lid and seat can be separated for replacement or cleaning as required. It will be appreciated that attachment or removal of the lid and seat can be achieved without the need to gain access to parts beneath the bowl. Thus the hygiene of a toilet can be maintained even where the rear of a bowl is concealed from above. Furthermore, as the base mounting is completely concealed when the seat and lid are mounted, the exposed parts of the hinge assembly can be removed for convenient cleaning without significant cleansing of parts remaining on the bowl and without the remaining parts having any intricate concealed portions which cannot be easily wiped.

Claims: A hinge assembly (1) for releasably mounting a toilet seat (2) on a toilet bowl (4), the hinge assembly (1) comprising a base mounting (5) arranged, in use, to be attached to a toilet bowl (4) and a hinge portion (6) about which a toilet seat (3), in use, is arranged to move, the hinge portion (6) being arranged to be detachably mounted on the base mounting (5) by causing turning movement of a retaining portion (7), characterised in that the retaining portion (7) is arranged to at least partially conceal the base mounting (5). An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, in which the hinge portion (6) is arranged to be located in position relative to the base mounting (5) by causing downwards movement of the hinge portion (6) relative to the base mounting (5). An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which the hinge assembly (1) is arranged to be connected to a base. An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the retaining portion (7) is arranged to surround the base mounting (5) when the hinge portion (6) is mounted on the base mounting (5). An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the retaining portion (7) and the hinge portion (6) are arranged to substantially cover the base mounting (5). An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the hinge portion (6) is arranged to project upwardly through an opening in the retaining portion (7). An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the retaining portion (7) is arranged to be connected with the base mounting (5) by means of cooperating screw threads. An assembly as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6, in which the retaining portion (7) is arranged to cooperate with the base mounting (5) by pivotal movement of the retaining portion (7) relative to the base mounting (5), with such pivotal movement being arranged to occur without any relative translational movement. An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the hinge portion (6) is pivotally movable relative to the retaining portion (7) before the hinge portion (6) is connected to the base mounting (5). An assembly as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 8, in which the hinge portion (6) is pivotally movable relative to the retaining portion (7) when the hinge portion (6) is connected to the base mounting (5). An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the location of the base mounting (5) is arranged to be adjustable relative to the bowl (4) in at least one relative translational direction. An assembly as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 11, in which the base mounting (5) is arranged to occupy one of a plurality of rotational positions relative to the base for a given position of extent of the hinge axis. A method of mounting a toilet seat (2) on a toilet bowl (4) in order that the seat (2) can hinge relative to the bowl (4), comprising attaching a base mounting (5) of a hinge assembly (1) on a toilet bowl (4), and locating a hinge portion (6) of the hinge assembly (1) to cooperate with the seat (2), and detachably mounting the hinge portion (6) on the base mounting (5) by causing turning movement of a retaining portion (7) of the hinge assembly (1), characterised by causing the retaining portion (7) to at least partially conceal the base mounting (5). A method as claimed in Claim 14, comprising causing the hinge assembly (1) to at least partially conceal a base. A method as claimed in Claim 13 or 14, comprising moving the hinge portion (6) downwardly towards the base mounting (5), when locating the hinge portion (6) relative to the base mounting (5).

Inventors: PALMER-BAKER PAUL, PALMER-BAKER, PAUL
Applicants: CELMAC LTD, CELMAC LIMITED
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A47K13
IPC codes: A47K13